We are a group of friends and acquaintances -- a merry band of pranksters indeed -- who have been arguing about politics on-and-off, then really on, then a little off... since 1998. On email. But that meant literally thousands of emails a year. That was too many. So here's the blog dedicated to carrying on that spirit of political and pop culture argument and dialogue. You might think of us as "schmoliticians", because while we take politics seriously, we try not to take ourselves quite so.
What do we think of this latest Al Jazeera-aired videotape message from al Qaeda? I don't get freaked out by these sorts of things, usually, but today's announcement from al Qaeda's #2, Ayman al-Zawahiri, has got me feeling a bit paranoid.
posted by Sean @ 8/04/2005 12:39:00 PM
2 comments
2 Comments:
More importantly, what do you think of Tony Blair's proposed deportation policies? Is this an appropriate and measured response to the threat of terrorism Great Britain faces? Or a potentially dangerous and alarming over-reaction that will further degrade relations between the Muslim and Non-Muslim communities?
from the Wash Post:
"Prime Minister Tony Blair, responding to last month's deadly bombings in London, outlined a series of unprecedented steps that would allow Britain to deport and exclude foreign nationals who promote or incite extremist violence or are "fostering hatred."
Among those excluded would be non-citizen clerics "not suitable to preach." In addition, Blair said the government was preparing orders allowing the government to shut down places of worship used as centers for "fomenting extremism."
Some of the steps may require legislation or court involvement. Others can be done by government order. Blair acknowledged the potential controversy that could arise from the proposals.
"The rules of the game are changing," said Blair."
Its so hard to say, especially in the wake of this latest threat. We need to maintain freedoms,and that includes points of view that we abhor. But, is it wise to stand by while these clerics preach violence and killing against the country in which they live? If Blair doesn't take action, is he doing everything he can to protect his people? And, if he does, what happens to the rights of the individual? How do they limit it? And, under this description, probably some of our forefathers could have been deported. It just emphasizes what a scary time in which we are living.
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